Illusions and Lies by InL (epub ebook reader .TXT) 📕

While the day is rapidly passing, the entire world is constantly changing. A good morning can be interrupted by an unexpected storm. Other’s happiness can cause someone’s grief. Rulers and their people could be the worst enemies. Evil is against good. And no one knows who to blame, and how to control the situation.

***

Jasmine was soaked in the rain with her hands and clothes dirty with mud. After spending hours of leaning and digging the soft ground with her bare hands, she has finally found it, a special kind of stone, a rare find. It is only seen when it rains hard and the water makes mud out of the already soft land in that side of the forest. She learned about it in the library.

For months she hoped it would rain hard and when it finally did she rushed out the house. Of course, it took several attempts to find the perfect spot. At first, she was scolded by her parents but as she did it every time it rained, they let her be.

When she initially saw the stone she thought it looked like gold but she knew better, this was halo’s stone. If she could just sell it then she would have a small fortune. Maybe she can now buy some fancy dress, not that spectacular but good. Or, she thought, she can even buy her own horse even those which was owned previously. Her anticipation grew as she didn’t just found one stone, there were five of them.

“Jas!” a man’s voice startled her thoughts shaking her out of her reverie so she turned to look, anxious that her father might have come after her. She didn’t think he could withstand going up the hill with all the rain and mud. Her parents might be good merchants but they aren’t getting any younger and the thought of them following her here made her shiver.

Relief flooded through her as she saw someone else. A tall man with a lean figure, who has intelligent and kind eyes, came striding towards her. She held on to those eyes which always sparkled whenever they see each other. Glad to see the special person in her life, she waved her hand as he approached.

“What are you doing here?” she raised her voice slightly not of anger but wonder, while trying to shield her eyes from the rain.

“Your parents said you might be here” he answered “I have news for you”.

She tilted her head slightly and asked “Can’t it wait till I come back to the house?” then added after noticing his clothes “you’re clothes are wet now”.

He only smiled “I guess I got carried away. And of course I got worried” he said this with the last part a little more of a whisper.

“C’mon let’s head back” she urged him, not planning on discussing matters out in the rain and scared of getting themselves sick. When he didn't move, he tugged him.

"How about the thing that you’ve been looking for?”.

She seemed to hesitate a little. Then decided that she couldn’t contain her excitement after all and showed him the stones.

His eyes at first were narrowed as if inspecting the small objects in her palm then went wide as he shook his head when he realized what they were.

“You sure are the best merchant I’ve ever met” he said.
“I am not” she refused to believe him.
“Yes you are. Those are very rare, many merchants that I know can’t even find any of those” he tried to convince her but she still shook her head.

She kept on walking but was lost in thought for a while. She then stopped, faced him and as if making up a decision in her mind, handed the smallest one to him. He frowned.

“I don’t need that. You do” he said seriously. “I know. That’s why you wouldn’t sell it.” She answered. He continued to frown.

“Then why are you giving this to me?”.
She smiled again saying “It’s a keepsake. So you won’t forget me”.
He then scowled “Jasmine, I will always remember you. Always.”. She nodded.
“I know, but I wanted you to have something to remind me of you. Besides, I haven’t given you anything yet ever since I have met you, haven't I?”. He puffed an air of exasperation.

“You don’t have to”.
“ I want to” she said stubbornly and dropped the stone in his breast pocket then ran heading to the house with him running after her.

When they arrived home, her parents were hugging close together. Her initial reaction was fear that something was wrong but as she looked closely, they seemed to cry of happiness changing into a look of surprise as they saw them both catching their breaths from the run.

“Is everything alright dear?” her father asked with amusement while her mother tried to find something to dry the young couple. Still unable to speak, Jasmine could only nod. Her parents smiled and handed them towels.

“What's the good news?”. Her father laughed.
“Is it supposed to be a good news?”
“Yes of course, you were crying.” she countered.

Her mother helped her dry her hair as she looked at all the three of them. After what she felt a very long time to pass finally, her mother stopped with her task and turned Jasmine to face her.
“Child, I am so proud of you, you have been accepted at Rune Academy”.

***

The shock and weight of what her mother told her earlier that evening seemed to slowly sink in. I’m going to Rune!

, she thought.

Nobles were required to go there and non nobles were only chosen depending on what the person may contribute to the society in the future. For the past years, their village tried and tried to nominate candidates but to no avail. But still, her abilities and what she was are not even normal. Clairvoyance was normally for Animus people exclusively which she was not and what makes her more weary is the fact that what she keeps on seeing are dark.

First, she saw glimpses of the Princess of Halafiel concentrating and trying to use her powers. She knew she tried and tried, saw her sad face whenever she repeatedly fails. One day, she told them about her visions and people simply dismissed her.

Next, Queen Minerva’s physical weakness, sleeplessness, fatigue then occasional memory lapses. When she told this to people, she was made fun of and taunted her, even going as far as calling her names that were cruel. After the news was announced that what she said were true, the people brushed it off saying that something like illnesses were bound to happen anytime.

After that, she saw the ‘unda erus’, the water vessel, coming to a neighboring country for the first time and perform ‘sanctifying’ ceremony. To try to convince the townspeople, she told them about it. Of course, time and again, she was called a liar. A week after that though, the ‘unda erus’ did came. Still, the people said that Jasmine’s family are merchants and she could have heard the news beforehand.

Then, that one time, it really became serious. The start of grieving and torment, what she saw was lifeless bodies. She was scared to tell the people this time, scared that she will become an outcast for telling horrible things but she knew she had to do it.

With feeble courage, she told them “On the 4th day of the White Moon, Cleatara shall succumb to the plague, leaving lifeless bodies at its wake”. She didn’t know what the village people said, since then and there she left. For another week she isolated herself, then a letter from her parents finally urged her to come back. The people knew that she was real, what she sees are real and on that day, she was finally accepted as a clairvoyant and the people called the disease “The Plague”

Weeks after, she saw the King of Halafiel falling to the malevolent disease followed by the temporary transfer of authority of Halafiel to his Queen and daughter. But what was ominous of all, what she could barely decipher was the hooded dark figure that looms in the darkness with a rather sinister smile.

She shivered, even just by remembering. There was something, someone out there who was responsible for this.

There were stares, murmurs, gossips, curses. Full of pain, scorn and anger, eyes followed the white carriage, streaked with gold on its side. It was one of the most beautiful carriages in the country and possessed by only one. Gloom descended this town and the carriage’s presence was like a salt to their already throbbing wounds.

Arwenn Blight, the owner of the carriage, went to the town, trying to escape the responsibilities she thought were useless. She was totally oblivious to the pain her presence gave to the people.

Lost in her own thoughts, she tried to observe the villagers by opening her window. The carriage stopped as some crowd pass across the street.

“I wonder how bad things are going on here. They look …terrible.” she said gazing at people crying, children looking weak and sick, some are limping while the others are carrying possessions as they leave their places.

"Close the window, princess. We are not safe here. The plague is said to be spreading rather fast" Warned the attendant.

“But it’s not contagious Darel” she countered. Darel drew his brows together and tried to argue.
“You do not know that for sure Princess. For months, other countries have been affected by the disease and all has failed to point out the cause.”

Arwenn did not want to argue and looked at the sky as she was about to close half of the window. The clouds are dark, as if ready to cry and pour out the rain, mist even covered the town. Almost everything in that part of the country seemed to be covered by darkness.

Catching her attention, a child suddenly stands close to the carriage. She had a black spot covering her left arm, somehow demonstrating it has dystrophy. The child smiled, but showed nothing of friendliness, and instead, mischief.

Surprisingly scared, Arwenn hurriedly closed the windows as the child glared at her. The carriage started moving again, and when Arwenn looked behind she saw the child